The Pewter Plank
FanSided

Jameis Winston: Buccaneers hope at quarterback in 2020

By Rob Leeds

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 12: Jameis Winston #3 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs with the ball in the third quarter during their game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on September 12, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 12: Jameis Winston #3 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs with the ball in the third quarter during their game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on September 12, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 3
Next
TAMPA, FL – DECEMBER 18: Quarterback Jameis Winston of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates with wide receiver Mike Evans #13 after connecting with Evans for a 42-yard touchdown pass during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons on December 18, 2017 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL – DECEMBER 18: Quarterback Jameis Winston of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates with wide receiver Mike Evans #13 after connecting with Evans for a 42-yard touchdown pass during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons on December 18, 2017 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images) /

Assessing the field

Many excuses have been made for Jameis throughout his career, too many. At a certain point an honest assessment is needed and while Jameis is not the best quarterback in the league, he is the best option available to the Bucs despite the turnovers and inconsistency.

A rookie quarterback would be no better than Jameis in a system where there is no offensive line, no defense, and no run game. Even the best rookie forced into a system that throws fifty times a game would put up similar stats to Winston and even worse, the could suffer a situation similar to Josh Rosen where a promising QB could completely lose their confidence and start to play at an extremely low level becoming a waste of a draft pick.

As far as free agents go, there are no free agents in the league that would play better than Jameis, and there are certainly no starters or backups that could logically be traded to the Bucs that would be an improvement. Players like Nick Foles and Philip Rivers, who some fans have recently called for, would be eviscerated in the Buccaneer system and quite frankly won’t fit the Bruce Arians system.

Next. Abandoned Ship: What does future hold for Buccaneers offensive line?. dark

The best hope for the Buccaneers is to spend some draft picks on offensive linemen and develop their defense over the Summer. If Jameis fails under those improved conditions then it would be time to cut bait, but at this point a rookie, a washed up veteran, or a journeyman QB are all a waste of time or a waste of a pick, and would only serve to further the divide between the Buccaneers and relevancy.

Home/Bucs News